Stop Saving the Good China for That Special Occasion

Some time ago, I tuned in to a TED talk that was suggested to me on Youtube. The speaker, Gillian Dunn, told the story of her buying a beautiful candle. And how she kept on waiting for a special occasion to get it lit, only to find it melted in the cupboard one day. Can you relate? Do you also save the nice bottle of champagne, the fancy dress, or the good china for another day? 

Looking back, I have to admit I was acting precisely like those women Gillian so vividly describes. I used to buy beautiful things and saving them for special occasions. Or for that ‘one day’ when I will have lost those last 5 pounds. And what happened with all these things? I tucked them away, and they got forgotten. 

I purchased lovely clothes just to let them sit in my wardrobe until they’ve gone out of style. I’m guilty of buying expensive beauty products and throwing them away unused. My obsession even went that far that I got duplicates – two pretty pens, two journals, two identical silk Ts, for instance. Only to have a spare one, just in case. Yes, I know, this is crazy. But honestly, I was not consciously doing this. 

Eventually, I became aware of my odd habit while decluttering my home. Back then, I spent a whole lot of time thinking about why certain items happened to be in my space and why I had never used them. 

The thing is, there can be various reasons why we save the good china – and all our other precious possessions – for later. Often, we tend to wait for special occasions to come one day instead of enjoying every day. Or, deep inside, we think we don’t deserve the good stuff. But whatever reason it is not to use the good china, let me tell you, it’s not a good one. 

 “Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion.” – Mary Manin Morrissey Click To Tweet

In her TED talk, Gillian explains that accumulating and not using our stuff is usually driven by two emotions. The first is, “I don’t have enough”. And the second is “I’m not enough”. And I think she’s right. I don’t know about you, but I accumulated stuff because I acted from a place of scarcity and lack of self-worthiness. But my mindset changed, and so did my life.

You’re Worth It

When you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I’m all about quality over quantity. And why? Because we deserve the best. We deserve to wear quality clothes, eat quality chocolate, and spend quality time with our loved ones. We deserve everything that adds value to our everyday lives. And this can, of course, also be something beautiful – a nice cup for our morning coffee, a good quality pen, a pretty journal, an uplifting scent, or a wonderful cozy cashmere sweater. We deserve having, using, and being surrounded by beautiful things – no doubt about it. 

Everyday Over One Day

I genuinely believe that what we do every day creates our reality. Living from one vacation, from one weekend to another, isn’t really a good thing to do. Because it means that we miss out on many opportunities to enjoy life. So let’s invite all those little pleasures in. Daily! Let us light the candle and use the good china. And not wait for the one perfect day or situation that may never come. 

So next time when hear yourself asking a question like, “Is this too nice to (wear, use, …) every day?”, answer with a bold NO. 

Beautiful Things Deserve Your Attention

Not only do we deserve beautiful things, but they also deserve our attention. Just think of all the resources that went into producing these items. So, let’s take the good china again as an example. Does it make sense to let it sit in a cupboard gaining dust? Or wouldn’t it be better to serve your weeknight dinners on beautiful plates? 

Minimalists often say that we shouldn’t be so attached to materialistic things. And I agree with them to a certain extent. Yes, we shouldn’t accumulate things because we think our possessions can make up for what’s missing in our lives. And yes, we shouldn’t buy things we don’t need only because our neighbors have them, or for whatever reason. Only HAVING things doesn’t add any value to our life, this for sure.

But what if we genuinely cared about the things we have? When we loved, regularly used, and looked after them? 

Unlike most minimalists, I do think it’s absolutely ok getting attached to worldly possessions. We invited them into our lives. Hence they deserve our love and attention.

Thoughts and Ideas Featured in This Post

• Enjoy your everyday. Start living now, and don’t wait for that one day that may never come.
• It’s worthwhile to check your reason why you accumulate (and not use) stuff.
• You deserve the best. Every single day.
• Materialistic things deserve that you love and use them.

More Tips and Inspirations

Here’s a link to the TED talk I mentioned above:

• Gillian Dunn: Change Your Closet, Change Your Life | TEDxWhiteRock

There are many reasons why choosing quality over quantity is always a good idea. Find seven of them in this post:

• 7 Reasons Why Choosing Quality over Quantity Is Always a Good Idea

Decluttering, if done correctly, is a great opportunity to reflect on your buying and hoarding habits. Here’s how to get started and a few learnings that may help:

• The KonMari Method: All You Need to Know + Printable Checklist
• Home Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Lessons Learned
• Wardrobe Decluttering a la Marie Kondo: Lessons Learned

Life’s little luxuries can brighten up your everyday. Here are some inspirations:

• 70 Simple Pleasures That Add Value to Your Life

I truly believe that when we decide to purchase something, we have the responsibility to take proper care of it. That’s why I love writing about wardrobe maintenance:

• All about Wardrobe Maintenance

If you enjoyed reading this post, you might also like to reflect a bit more on your buying habits. Here are some tips and inspirations:

• How to Become a Mindful Shopper
• Mindful Shopping: 20 Things I No Longer Buy

If you like the ‘less, but luxe’ idea, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more tips and inspirations. And don’t forget to join my email list to receive weekly updates plus content that’s exclusively available to my readers.

What about you? Do you tend to save the good china, all the beautiful things, for special occasions? Share your thoughts and experiences. I’d love to hear from you!